


Day One Hundred Fifty-Three || A Challenge

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [153]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 03:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19076482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Not much can phase Uchiha Sasuke now. He's practically his own tier of shinobi...well, alongside Naruto. But even HE has his weaknesses...





	Day One Hundred Fifty-Three || A Challenge

As much as he might have denied it in his younger years...Sasuke really  _ is _ a competitive guy. Granted, his ‘rivalry’ with Naruto back then wasn’t much his choice. All Sasuke wanted to do was keep his nose to the grindstone and get as strong as possible, as quickly as possible.

So, imagine his annoyance when he got teamed with a loudmouth showoff and a one-track-minded fangirl. They threatened to hold him back from his goal. The one thing that gave him purpose. He could care less about their shallow infatuations with him. He’d had everything stolen from him.  _ Everything _ . Wasting a single moment in search of justice for the Uchiha clan massacre was a disrespect to his slaughtered family.

But...in the end, he was stuck with them. Through the genin-level missions, Kakashi’s late-starting training days, and getting dragged out for whatever shenanigans Naruto and Sakura had in mind for that day.

The more time went on...the more Sasuke started to slip. He’d indulge in Naruto’s banter and challenges. Sakura, on the other hand, offered very little. Sure, trying to converse with Naruto was almost constant squabbling and arguing...but Sakura could focus on little else beyond herself, and her  _ crush _ on Sasuke. She’d even talk down about others to try to bolster his views of her in comparison.

Of course, that only ever did the opposite.

But as the months passed, Sasuke found himself actually measuring himself up to the dead last. In a way, it helped boost his morale to constantly out-perform his teammate.

...at least...until Naruto started catching up.

He couldn’t understand it…! Naruto had no talent! He wasn’t part of a superior clan! Of course, back then, he knew nothing of the Kyūbi junchūriki’s heritage: son of the Yondaime Hokage, and one of the last Uzumaki. All in all, Sasuke had no reason to think Naruto was anything special...except for that strange orange chakra he could see once his Sharingan awoke.

Though part of him was angry due to his inner competitive nature...in reality, it bothered him for a far more serious reason. If someone like Naruto - a half-wit, dead-last  _ nobody _ \- could come anywhere near his level...then that meant he still had far too far to go in regards to his own strength.

In regards to Itachi’s strength.

It was that anger that led to his abandonment of Konoha...a place he realized was coddling him. Inhibiting his growth. If he was ever going to kill Itachi...he needed better methods. Better teachers. No matter the personal cost, he would pay it. So long as Itachi fell dead before he himself succumbed to death...Uchiha Sasuke would be happy.

Of course...his seemingly simple plan went far,  _ far _ awry as the years passed. New teams, new truths, new lies, and new paths.

And where did it all end up leading?

_ Right _ back to Konoha. A place he now had a very...complicated relationship with. On one hand, it was the stage for his clan’s genocide, orchestrated by the very people who led the village. On the other, it was a place Itachi gave his life for: that he still believed to be good at its core.

Naruto and Sakura had tried again and again to drag him back, and as Naruto had put it, “even if he had to break every bone in his body”.

Something a friend would say, wasn’t it? Completely rational, completely respectful of Sasuke’s free will of choice.

But...in the end, he  _ did  _ return. On his own terms, even if the prompt was rather...unexpected. The revival of Uchiha Itachi was a shock to literally everyone but the woman who brought him back. And that was the first stepping stone to Sasuke’s new life. Facing the council, ousting the old regime of Konoha to instead entrust it to his prior teacher, and later prior teammate. Reforming the police, and attempting to clear out Konoha’s shadows from the surface, while Itachi and his ANBU would do so beneath.

As expected, rebuilding relationships was...difficult. Neither side was willing to forgive so easily, to varying degrees.

...except for one.

A Hyūga ally, a fellow left-behind friend by the rest of team seven, someone who’d also lost and regained a brother, and knew the politics of a village and clan rather well.

Hinata.

The path to their acquaintanceship, friendship, and later relationship was rather long, helped along by friends, clans, and work. But what matters now is that Uchiha Sasuke ended up marrying Hyūga Hinata.

And he considers it to be the one good decision he’s made out of the many poor ones that led him to such a path of misery and anguish.

A path he’s left behind.

“Think I can do it?”

“...do what?”

Sasuke nods to the tree in their backyard. It’s Autumn now, leaves falling slowly in the still air. “I bet I can pin a falling leave to the trunk of that tree.”

Seated between her husband’s knees as they lounge, Hinata gives a soft snort. “Of  _ course _ you can. That’s not even a challenge.”

“What about blindfolded?”

“...I’d rather you not hit something else by accident. What’s gotten into you, anyway?”

“I’m...restless.”

“...want to spar?”

Sasuke considers that. As much as he enjoys training with his wife - and she’s hardly a pushover - there’s still only one person he can  _ truly _ use all of his strength and force against.

Much to his annoyance.

“...sure. Nothing too heavy.”

“Think I can’t handle it?”

Sasuke gives his wife a look as she stands. “...you know that’s not a fair question, Hinata. For a typical shinobi, you’re exceedingly talented. I’m just…”

“A god among men?” she teases, offering a hand to help him up. “I know, I know...it’s a good thing I’m not a p-proud person, or that would sting.”

“You’re a wonderful kunoichi. And even among the Hyūga you’re a step above the rest. I’ve been made a bit too powerful to be a fair scale for anyone but Naruto. Hagoromo’s interference is hardly typical.”

“Well, I  _ am _ the Byakugan princess,” Hinata reminds him with a false haughty look. “I’m a descendent of Hamura, remember? You’re just a  _ reincarnation _ of a sage’s son!”

In spite of himself, Sasuke gives a rather undignified snort. “Is that so?”

“It is!”

“Well I’m  _ also _ a descendent of Indra’s, the father of the Uchiha clan. I think I can measure up to your lineage,” he retorts with a smirk.

“Is that a  _ challenge _ , Uchiha?”

“Do you  _ want _ it to be, Hyūga?”

The pair step up to each other, Hinata looking up defiantly as Sasuke stares down coolly. For added effect, they even let their kekkei genkai flare to life, white staring up into red and purple. They manage to hold their gazes for a long moment before breaking out into laughter.

“So ridiculous,” Hinata says between breaths, wiping at her eyes as they return to their typical state. “I can’t say things like that seriously...it sounds so p-pretentious!”

Still chuckling, Sasuke waves a hand before fitting his hitai-ate back over his Rinnegan. “You did pretty well, I think. Next time someone gives you trouble, just start spouting off about your Ōtsutsuki heritage. They’ll wet themselves and run in terror.”

“In all honesty, I hate being linked to that...woman. I can’t believe she almost destroyed our world…”

“Not with me around.”

“Mm, no,” Hinata agrees, giving him a small smile. “Not even rabbit goddesses stands a chance when pitted against you, hm?”

“Hardly a threat.”

“...so, still want that spar?” Hinata then asks, “Or did we ruin the moment with our theatrics?”

“Mm…” Humming thoughtfully, Sasuke lets a smirk overtake his face. “As tempting as that is, you were giving me  _ other _ ideas, staring at me with your Byakugan like that.”

“W...what?”

A soft laugh escapes him as she stutters, going a light shade of pink. “I think I like it when you get so  _ serious _ like that. You’ve never looked at me with your kekkei genkai like that before. And that  _ look _ in your eyes…”

Blinking, Hinata slowly blooms red. “I...b-but…?”

“...of course, now that edge is completely gone,” he teases, gesturing to her now-flustered expression. “But I wouldn’t mind seeing you get that... _ domineering _ in other scenarios.”

For a long moment Hinata is silent, glancing aside as she mulls that over. Sure, she’s not a blushing maiden anymore - hasn’t been for a while now since marrying him. But that doesn’t mean her inner prude doesn’t still emerge at times.

...still…

Fiddling with his sleeves, Sasuke looks up as Hinata steps up again. Her Byakugan fill with chakra, staring up at him as a hand takes his shirt front, dragging him down to her level.

...oh. Whoa.

“Is that another _ challenge _ I hear…?” she asks, tone soft but laced with an edge. “Have I found a weakness in the mighty Uchiha Sasuke…?”

...okay, he’s all sorts of confused. He was mostly teasing her before, but uh...this is actually getting his heart to race a bit, seeing those eyes staring right through him and hearing her talk like that.

... _ oh _ .

“...I think you and I know you’ve been a weakness of mine for quite some time now.”

A wry smile curls her lips. “Then maybe I  _ can _ handle it, hm…?”

“...let’s find out, shall we?”

**Author's Note:**

> This...isn't QUITE what I envisioned? But to be fair, I am running on basically no sleep, so uh...I'm not at my best :'D Yayjawpain.
> 
> ANYWAY, this is a LITTLE borderline ooc for my interpretation of Hinata. While she DOES have a sense of humor, and CAN be a little risque...she's still rather conservative in a lot of ways. She can get down and dirty with her hubby, sure...but stuff like this is pushing it, lol
> 
> (Also for anyone wondering (since I HAVE been asked about it in the past), I highly doubt there will ever be nsfw content in this challenge. It's just a bit of a...personal line that's difficult for me to cross ^^; Hence cutting it off at the innuendo...sorry OTL)
> 
> ANYWAY, I'm...obviously very tired, so I need to head off for the night. Thanks for reading!


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